Fish and chips are a popular menu item at Mad Dogs British Pub on the River Walk in downtown San Antonio. The restaurant's CEO, Terry Corless, is looking to franchise the business concept in Austin, Dallas and Houston. (Wednesday September 15, 2010). JOHN DAVENPORT/jdavenport@express-news.net

Photo By HELEN L. MONTOYA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Fish and Chips from The Sandbar located in the Pearl Brewery. HELEN L. MONTOYA/hmontoya@express-news.net

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Fish & Chips at Knife & Fork Gastropub in San Antonio on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

Photo By EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

The Fish and Chips at The Lion and Rose Friday Dec. 30, 2011. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

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Pull out the turkey fryer and get ready to make a batch of fish and chips. Although the combination may be quintessentially British, it can adapt to life in South Texas.

“It's a comfort food,” said Bruce Auden, chef and partner at Auden's Kitchen, which focuses on American and British homey classics. “One of our biggest sellers. Not as big as the fried chicken, but probably second or third.”

Anybody who can fry a whole turkey can easily make fish and chips. And since the smell of frying fish and any splatters are no problem outside, it's a great dish to make for friends while watching football over the weekend.

Besides, the adaptable dish has some definite non-British roots, according to a story about the history of fish and chips on the BBC.

Fried fish was introduced to Britain by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain around the 17th century, and fried potatoes go back to the same time to either France or Belgium.

Charles Dickens mentioned a “fried fish warehouse” in “Oliver Twist,” where fish were usually served with bread or baked potatoes.

The question of who came up with the combination of fried fish and fried potatoes is a matter of regional pride between those who live in the north and south of England, the BBC reports. Regardless of where it started, it quickly caught on.

Italian immigrants to England saw the popularity and opened fish and chip shops in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. These shops, needing to keep prices down, wrapped up their wares in old newspaper.

That practice survived until the 1980s, when authorities ruled that food that came into direct contact with newspaper ink was unsafe. Still, restaurants — including Andrew Weissman's the Sandbar, locally — include newspaper in the presentation as a nod to the history.

Some historians have even suggested that fish and chips helped keep up British morale during World War I and played a role in winning the war.

In more contemporary times, Auden remembered how fish and chips were simply a part of his growing up in a London suburb.

“There was a fish and chip shop on every corner. If we could afford to go out to eat, we would go out for fish and chips,” he said. “There were three chippies within walking distance of my home.”

It's almost a given that restaurants and bars here with British themes, such as the Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub and Mad Dogs British Pub, include fish and chips on their menus, along with South Texas nachos and burgers.

The dish is also a way for folks at the Knife & Fork Gastropub in Stone Oak to include a nod to history on its menu.

“Since we're a gastropub, and the gastropub came from England, we wanted to feature it,” said managing partner Gabriel Orozco. “Our fish and chips is probably one of our main staples. For the last three months, it's been consistently in the top three sellers.”

If you're going to make the dish at home, fish and chips require a bit of planning, but they're not difficult.

Basically, you want to get the fish ready for a dunk in the batter, fry the potatoes and then fry the fish, although some recipes vary. Remember, British-style chips tend to be more floppy than the American fries or French/Belgian pommes frites.

In any event, the potatoes will hold their heat while the fish cooks so everything should be nice and hot when it's served.

Malt vinegar on the side is absolutely necessary, Auden said.

It does take a little time, planning and organization, but the results are worth it.

Auden doesn't recommend deep-frying indoors, but agrees that a turkey fryer outside is a solid idea.

“Everything's better when you cook it outside,” he notes.

He suggests using farm-raised tilapia from Texas, from R. Scott Enterprises, which sells on Saturdays at the Pearl Farmers Market.

If you're still not convinced that fish and chips has a place in the Texas kitchen or table, consider this: Auden makes his beer batter with Lone Star.